• All abstracts must be submitted online in a Microsoft Word Document format, through the conference website.
• All abstracts must be written in English.
• Abstracts must adhere to the related abstract guideline format (see below).
• Length limit of abstract: 350 words.
• No images, charts or tables are permitted in the abstract.
• Abstracts must be informational and report on completed work.
• It is the author's responsibility to submit a correct abstract, and to include all applicable supervisors and/or co-authors.
• Any errors in spelling, grammar or scientific fact will be reproduced as submitted by the author.
• Abstract submission deadline is midnight South African Standard Time on 12 June 2023. Abstracts will not be accepted after this date.
• All abstracts will be reviewed, and the final selection made by the Scientific Committee.
• Notification of acceptance/decline will commence on or before 26 June 2023.
• Accepted abstracts will only be included in the conference programme once registration, and payment of the registration fee, is completed.
• All presenters must be registered and fully paid by 15th July 2022.
• Copyright issues: Speakers who use original work (pictures, charts, graphs, videos, etc.) in their presentation must cite the original source. If you are drawing heavily on another source, it is your responsibility to seek permission to use the material.

Format

• Title – maximum 25 words
• Author(s) — List the primary author first

The abstract should be constructed using the format listed below. Please note the formats applicable to scientific or operational research.

Maximum word count- 350

Format for Scientific Abstract

• Background: An opening sentence or two that introduces the study
• Objectives: Indicate the purpose of the study or the hypothesis that was tested.
• Methodology: Include the study setting, subjects, and type of analysis, if appropriate.
• Results: Present the results of the study. (If you do not have final results available, please state this clearly. In this case, you must indicate any preliminary and anticipated final results).
• Conclusions: Briefly discuss the data and emphasise the significance of the results.
• Advocacy message: What is the key advocacy message arising from your research? (Consider what change you would like to see, and the target audience (e.g. policy makers, implementers, communities)? (approximately 30 words of the total 350 words)
• 3 keywords
  

Format for Operational Research or Community Projects

• Background: An opening sentence or two that introduces the study or project. Include the problem statement and rationale for intervention
• Intervention description: Describe your proposed intervention/change(s) to practice in sufficient detail
• Results: Present the results of the study. (If you do not have final results available, please state this clearly. In this case, you must indicate any preliminary and anticipated final results).
• Lessons learnt: What went well/what didn’t work?
• Key Messages: What do the findings mean for the field?
• Advocacy message: What is the key advocacy message arising from your research? (Consider what change that you would like to see, and the target audience (e.g. policy makers, implementers, communities)? (approximately 30 words of the total 350 words)
• 3 keywords

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria for evaluating the quality of abstracts include originality of ideas and methods, concise presentation of methods and results, clarity of application and implementation, quality of writing, and relevance to conference themes.